Clock movements and clocks

Abstract

To provide a horological movement which allows time or date to be quickly corrected by a setting stem.SOLUTION: The horological movement including a setting stem 1, a movement winding mechanism, a date display mechanism, and a time display mechanism, includes: a first lever 10 supporting a drive wheel 11 capable of being kinematically connected to the setting stem 1, and supporting at least one hand-setting wheel 12 arranged so as to cooperate with the time display mechanism and capable of being kinematically connected to the drive wheel 11; and a second lever 20 supporting a date correction mechanism capable of being kinematically connected to the drive wheel 11 as well as to the date display mechanism. The second lever 20 is pivotably mounted on the first lever 10 and arranged so as to move between a meshed position in which the date correction mechanism cooperates with the date display mechanism and a retracted position in which the date correction mechanism is disconnected from the date display mechanism, and the setting stem 1 and the first lever 10 and the second lever 20 are arranged to occupy three positions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of mechanical watchmaking, in particular to a timepiece movement including a setting stem, a movement winding mechanism, a date display mechanism, and a time display mechanism.

[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to a time and / or date correction mechanism. [Background technology]

[0003] Many mechanical watches conventionally include a setting stem located at 3 o'clock, which occupies two positions: a manual winding position and a hand setting position. These watches also include a date corrector mechanism that is operated via the setting stem.

[0004] US Pat. No. 5,399,433 describes a mechanism in which the date is corrected by a setting stem arranged to occupy a third position. However, in this mechanism, the date corrector member is fixed, so that it is permanently engaged with the date ring, and the date correction is performed in both directions. If the user corrects the date around midnight, there is a risk that the date drive arm will break.

[0005] The patent document 2 further describes a timepiece movement including a first lever, a second lever and a third lever. The first lever carries a first drive wheel kinematically connectable to the setting stem. The second lever carries a second hand setting wheel arranged to cooperate with the time display mechanism and kinematically connectable to the first drive wheel. The third lever carries a date correction mechanism kinematically connectable to the first drive wheel and the date display mechanism. The third lever is pivotally attached to the second lever and arranged to move between an engaged position in which the date correction mechanism cooperates with the date display mechanism and a retracted position in which the date correction mechanism is disconnected from the date display mechanism. The setting stem and the first and second levers are arranged to occupy three positions.

[0006] However, in this mechanism, the wearer also changes the date when correcting the time, an unintentional change of the date not always desired by the wearer, who must then correct the date after correcting the time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] European Patent No. 2707778 [Patent Document 2] European Patent No. 3144743 Summary of the Invention

[0008] In particular, the present invention aims to overcome various drawbacks of known mechanisms.

[0009] More particularly, one object of the present invention is to provide a clock movement which allows the time or date to be quickly corrected by means of a setting stem.

[0010] To this end, the invention relates to a timepiece movement comprising a setting stem, a movement winding mechanism, a date display mechanism and a time display mechanism, the timepiece movement comprising a first lever bearing a drive wheel kinematically connectable to the setting stem, the first lever being arranged to cooperate with the time display mechanism and bearing at least one hand setting wheel kinematically connectable to the drive wheel, and a second lever bearing a date corrector mechanism kinematically connectable to the drive wheel and to the date display mechanism, the second lever being pivotally mounted on the first lever and arranged to move between an engaged position in which the date corrector mechanism cooperates with the date display mechanism and a retracted position in which the date corrector mechanism is disconnected from the date display mechanism, the setting stem and the first and second levers being arranged to have three positions, namely a winding position in which the setting stem is kinematically connected to the movement winding mechanism but not to the drive wheel; a date correction position in which the setting stem is kinematically connected to the drive wheel, the first lever and the second lever being positioned such that the first drive wheel is kinematically connected to the date correction mechanism but not to the time display mechanism; a hand-setting position in which the setting stem is kinematically connected to the first drive wheel, and the first and second levers are positioned such that the first drive wheel is kinematically connected to the time-correction mechanism via the at least one hand-setting wheel but not to the date-correction mechanism; are arranged to occupy.

[0011] According to the invention, the clock movement includes a third lever arranged to cooperate with the second lever, the third lever being arranged to block the second lever in the hand setting position when the setting stem is in said hand setting position and to prevent the date from being corrected while the time is being corrected.

[0012] According to another advantageous variant of the invention, the second lever includes means for limiting the angular stroke; the means for limiting the angular stroke includes an aperture formed in the second lever, the aperture being arranged to cooperate with the pin, opposite ends of the aperture defining a stroke length of the second lever; The clock movement includes a winding pinion, a sliding pinion, the positioning of the sliding pinion is ensured by the pull-out piece and the lever, and the pull-out piece includes a curved guide groove that defines the angular position of the third lever depending on the position in which the third lever is immobilized; a third lever indirectly cooperates with the jumper via a pull-out piece, the jumper including a flexible arm having three notches defining three positions corresponding to a winding position, a date correction position and a time correction position; the third lever includes a first free end to which a pin is attached that is arranged to abut against the second lever when the winding stem is in the needle setting position, and a second end including a guide groove that cooperates with the pin fixed to the pull-out piece; the pin is arranged in a guide groove to tilt the third lever from its resting position to its hand-setting position, thereby blocking the displacement of the second lever at least towards the date mechanism or completely blocking the second lever; the second lever includes friction means; The friction means takes the form of a washer.

[0013] The invention further relates to a timepiece including a movement according to the invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 shows a perspective top view of a movement correction mechanism according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows a perspective bottom view of the movement correction mechanism according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 shows a partial top view of a clock movement according to the present invention. [Figure 4a] 1A-1D show top views of the correction mechanism of the timepiece movement according to the invention, the correction mechanism being shown in different positions; [Figure 4b] 1A-1D show top views of the correction mechanism of the timepiece movement according to the invention, the correction mechanism being shown in different positions; [Figure 4c] 1A-1D show top views of the correction mechanism of the timepiece movement according to the invention, the correction mechanism being shown in different positions; [Figure 4d] 1A-1D show top views of the correction mechanism of the timepiece movement according to the invention, the correction mechanism being shown in different positions; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the correction mechanism of the timepiece movement according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] 3 shows a part of a clock movement, which in detail includes a setting stem 1, a winding mechanism, a date correction mechanism and a time correction mechanism.

[0017] In the conventional manner, the setting stem 1 or winding stem can be actuated from outside the watch case and can on the one hand rotate about its axis of rotation C and on the other hand translate along its axis of rotation C to occupy its various positions. A winding pinion 2 and a sliding pinion 4 are also provided. The sliding pinion 4 is positioned by a pull-out piece 6 and a lever 8.

[0018] In the conventional embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, when the setting stem is in its winding position (typically its non-extended position) and the sliding pinion 4 cooperates with the winding pinion 2, the latter meshes with a winding mechanism (not shown) for manually winding the movement.

[0019] The date display mechanism conventionally comprises a date disc or date ring 3 with internal teeth 5. The internal teeth 5 can be activated by a date corrector mechanism.

[0020] The time correction mechanism may include a set of intermediate wheels that mesh with a minute wheel that cooperates with a cannon pinion.

[0021] All these elements and their operation are well known to those skilled in the art and need not be further explained.

[0022] According to the invention, a first lever 10 is pivotally mounted on the plate and carries a first drive wheel 11 mounted so as to rotate freely about an axis, with which the sliding pinion 4 of the setting stem 1 meshes when the setting stem 1 is in the date correction position or the hand setting position (pulled out position).

[0023] A second lever 20 is also provided and is pivotally attached to the first lever 10. Referring to Figure 5, the second lever 20 includes a first portion 20a provided on the first lever 10 with a first hole through which a first shaft A constituting the pivot axis of the second lever 20 passes. The second lever 20 also includes a second portion 20b having a second hole through which a second shaft B constituting the pivot axis of the date corrector passes.

[0024] The second lever 20 carries a date correction mechanism which can be kinematically connected to the drive wheel 11 and to the date ring 3. With particular reference to Figure 3, the date correction mechanism comprises a corrector member 15 which can be kinematically connected to the drive wheel 11 via a connecting pinion 16. The corrector member 15 comprises a corrector finger 17 which can cooperate with a tooth 5 of the date ring 3. The corrector member 15 is frictionally mounted to the second lever 20 via a friction washer 18 by fixing a shaft B to the corrector member 15. The corrector member 15 and the connecting pinion 16 are fixed to each other and are mounted to the second lever 20 so that they can rotate as a whole.

[0025] In the example shown, the corrector finger 17 cooperates directly with the date disc 3, but it is clear that a gear train or other intermediate mechanism may be provided between the corrector member 15 and the date display mechanism.

[0026] A second lever 20 is pivotally mounted to the first lever 10 and arranged to move between an engaged position in which the date correction mechanism cooperates with the date ring 3 and a retracted position in which the date correction mechanism is disconnected from the date ring 3.

[0027] The second lever 20 further comprises a stop element in the form of an aperture 20c between which the second lever moves, defined by opposite ends of the aperture 20c, i.e. the opposite ends of the aperture 20c make it possible to limit the angular stroke of the second lever and define two distinct positions for the second lever 20.

[0028] In addition, a peg (not shown) is provided on the plate. This peg is arranged to cooperate with an aperture 20c in the second lever 20. In cooperation with the aperture 20c, the peg forms a means for limiting the stroke of the second lever 20 as it pivots; i.e. the position of engagement of the corrector with the date ring is defined by the first end of the aperture as it comes into contact with the peg.

[0029] Contact between the peg and the second end of the aperture defines a release position.

[0030] According to the invention, a third lever 30 is pivotally mounted on the plate and bears a guide groove 34 arranged to cooperate with the pull-out piece 6. The third lever 30 is arranged to cooperate with the second lever 20 and to block the second lever 20 when the winding stem is in the hand-setting position, thereby preventing the date from being corrected when the time is corrected. As can be seen in FIG. 4b, the third lever has a first free end 31 to which a pin 32 is attached and a second end 33 including a guide groove 34 which cooperates with a pin 35 fixed to the pull-out piece 6. The pin 32 is arranged to abut against the second lever 20 when the winding stem 1 is in the hand-setting position.

[0031] The guide groove 34 is curved so as to define three angular positions of said lever corresponding to the winding position, the date correction position and the time correction position of the setting stem 1. According to the invention, the lever 30 cooperates indirectly with the jumper 9 via the pull-out piece 6. The jumper 9 comprises a flexible arm 90 provided with three notches 9a, 9b, 9c.

[0032] The pull-out piece 6 includes a pin 36 which cooperates with one of the notches 9a, 9b, 9c depending on the position of the stem. The pull-out piece 6 also cooperates with the winding stem 1 by means of a pin 37 arranged to rest in a groove 38 of the winding stem 1. That is to say, when the winding stem 1 is pulled, the pull-out piece 6 pivots and presses against the flexible arm 90, and the pin 36 moves in one of the notches 9a, 9b, 9c depending on the position occupied by the winding stem 1. Such an arrangement in particular allows "notches" to be provided for different positions of the winding stem 1, making it easy for the wearer to identify the position of the winding stem 1 when making corrections.

[0033] The movement according to the invention works as follows: in the manual winding position, as shown in Fig. 4a, the sliding pinion 4 meshes with the winding pinion 2, which in turn meshes with a winding mechanism (not shown) for manual winding of the movement, i.e. the setting stem 1 in the winding position is kinematically connected to the movement winding mechanism but not to the drive wheel 11 and thus not to any other time or date correction mechanism.

[0034] With reference to FIG. 4d, when the setting stem 1 is retracted into its date-correction position, the sliding pinion 4 translates towards the drive wheel 11 and meshes with it. When the setting stem 1 is retracted, the third lever 30 is also displaced, allowing the second lever 20 to pivot into the date-correction position, i.e., in this date-correction position, the setting stem 1 is kinematically connected to the drive wheel 11, and the first lever 10 and the second lever 20 are positioned such that the first drive wheel 11i is kinematically connected to the date-correction mechanism carried by the second lever 20, but not to the minute wheel. In detail, the second lever 20 is positioned such that the drive wheel 11 meshes with the connecting pinion 16 carried by the second lever 20. The connecting pinion 16 is fixed to the corrector member 15, thereby rotating the corrector member 15 and the friction washer 18, causing the second lever 20 to pivot. Then, one of the corrector fingers 17 cooperates with a tooth 5 of the date ring 3 to activate the date ring 3 and correct the date. The first lever 10 is positioned so that the drive wheel 11 does not cooperate with the minute wheel. In this way, the rapid date correction function is separated from the hand setting and winding functions.

[0035] In this position, a rotation of the setting stem 1 in one direction causes a rotation of the connecting pinion 16 and the friction washer 18 in the same direction, so that the second lever 20 pivots in the same direction. This pivoting direction draws the corrector member 15 towards the date ring 5, as shown, for example, in Fig. 4d. That is to say, the third lever 30 occupies its date-correcting position, so that the date can be corrected.

[0036] When the setting stem 1 is turned in the opposite direction, a reverse rotation of the connecting pinion and of the axis B is caused, so that the second lever 20 also pivots in the opposite direction, which causes the date correction mechanism to move away from the date ring 5, as shown in FIG. 4c. The movement of the date correction mechanism away from the date ring 5 is limited by the cooperation of the peg and the two ends of the aperture 20c provided in the second lever 20. The mechanism according to the invention thus allows a unidirectional correction of the date by the setting stem 1. When the setting stem is turned in the opposite direction, the correction of other functions is envisaged.

[0037] 4b, when the setting stem 1 is pulled out to its needle-setting position, the sliding pinion 4 translates towards the first lever 10, i.e. the setting stem 1 cooperates with the first lever 10, causing the first lever 10 to pivot, thereby meshing the drive wheel 11 with the needle-setting wheel 12, while the sliding pinion 4 remains meshed with the first drive wheel 11. In other words, in this needle-setting position, the setting stem 1 is kinematically connected to the drive wheel 11, and the first lever is positioned to allow the setting of the needle by the first drive wheel 11 and the needle-setting wheel 12. In detail, when the setting stem 1 is translated, the pull-out piece acts on the third lever 30, moving it to a position where it blocks the second lever 20. The pin 35 cooperates in the guide groove 34, tilting the third lever 30 from its rest position to its hand-setting position, blocking the displacement of the second lever at least in the direction of the date, or even completely blocking the displacement of the lever in the direction of the date ring. In this way, the hand-setting function is separated from the rapid date correction and winding functions.

[0038] In the movement according to the invention, the engagement between the first drive wheel and the date mechanism or the hand-setting mechanism is not permanent, so that the teething of the various components does not require specific cuts.

[0039] The invention further relates to a timepiece comprising a timepiece movement according to the invention.

[0040] Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples shown and various alternatives and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A timepiece movement including a setting stem (1), a movement winding mechanism, a date display mechanism (3) and a time display mechanism, a first lever (10) bearing a drive wheel (11) kinematically connectable to said setting stem (1) and also bearing at least one needle setting wheel (12); a second lever (20) supporting a date correction mechanism kinematically connectable to the drive wheel (11) and to the date display mechanism (3); Including, said at least one hand setting wheel (12) being kinematically connectable to said drive wheel (11) and arranged to cooperate with said time display mechanism; said second lever (20) is pivotally mounted to said first lever (10) and arranged to move between an engaged position in which said date correction mechanism cooperates with said date display mechanism and a retracted position in which said date correction mechanism is disconnected from said date display mechanism; The setting stem (1), the first lever (10), and the second lever (20) are a winding position in which the setting stem (1) is kinematically connected to the movement winding mechanism but not to the drive wheel (11); a date correction position in which the setting stem (1) is kinematically connected to the drive wheel (11), and the first lever (10) and the second lever (20) are positioned such that the drive wheel (11) is kinematically connected to the date correction mechanism but not to the time display mechanism; a hand-setting position in which the setting stem (1) is kinematically connected to the drive wheel (11), and the first lever (10) and the second lever (20) are positioned such that the drive wheel (11) is kinematically connected to the time-display mechanism via the at least one hand-setting wheel (12) but is not kinematically connected to the date-correction mechanism; are arranged to show the three positions of The clock movement includes a third lever (30) arranged to cooperate with the second lever (20), The third lever (30) is arranged to block the second lever (20) in the hand setting position when the setting stem (1) is in the hand setting position and to prevent the date from being corrected while the time is being corrected.

2. 2. The clock movement according to claim 1, wherein said second lever (20) comprises means for limiting the angular stroke of said second lever (20).

3. 3. The clock movement according to claim 2, wherein the means for limiting the angular stroke include an aperture (20c) formed in the second lever (20), the aperture (20c) being arranged to cooperate with a peg provided on a plate to which the first lever (10) is pivotally mounted, the ends of the aperture (20c) defining the stroke length of the second lever (20).

4. 2. A clock movement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the setting stem (1) comprises a winding pinion (2) and a sliding pinion (4), the positioning of the sliding pinion (4) along the rotation axis of the setting stem (1) being ensured by a pull-out piece (6) and a lever (8), the third lever (30) comprising a curved guide groove (34) which defines the angular position of the third lever (30) depending on the position in which the pull-out piece (6) is immobilised.

5. 5. The clock movement according to claim 4, wherein the third lever (30) is pivotally mounted on a plate to cooperate with the pull-out piece (6), and wherein a pin (36) of the pull-out piece (6) cooperates with a flexible arm (90) of the jumper (9) including three notches (9a, 9b, 9c), the three notches (9a, 9b, 9c) forming three positions corresponding to the winding position, the date correction position and the time correction position.

6. 5. The clock movement according to claim 4, wherein the third lever (30) has a first free end (31) to which a pin (32) is attached which is arranged to abut against the second lever (20) when the setting stem (1) is in the hand setting position, and a second end (33) including the curved guide groove (34) which cooperates with a pin (35) fixed to the pull-out piece (6).

7. 7. The timepiece movement according to claim 6, wherein the pin (35) is arranged in the curved guide groove (34) to tilt the third lever (30) from its resting position to its hand-setting position, thereby blocking the displacement of the second lever (20) at least towards the date display mechanism (3) or completely blocking the second lever (20).

8. 2. A clock movement according to claim 1, wherein said second lever (20) comprises a friction means (18) rotated by a connecting pinion (16) on which said second lever (20) bears.

9. 9. A clock movement according to claim 8, wherein said friction means (18) takes the form of a washer.

10. A timepiece including a timepiece movement according to claim 1.

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